Last Updated: November 4, 2020
When a company designs a new product, dozens of considerations must be examined. Who will want to buy the product? How will it be received by the public? How can we market the product effectively? Can we do better than our competition?
Consumer product managers provide companies the answers to these questions and more throughout a product’s life cycle. Working with teams of product designers, market researchers, and sales representatives, consumer product managers ensure the consumer experience is as positive as possible.
What do they do?
Location and Opportunity
Job prospects for consumer product managers are best in large cities, according to statistics from Indeed.com. Some locations with the most job openings include:
Consumer product managers are involved in all stages of product development and marketing. With strong leadership skills and marketing insight, they help plan out just how to present a product to consumers.
As more companies recognize the benefits of engaging in business-to-consumer marketing, they turn to consumer product managers to identify target consumers, engage them through polling and market data, and develop products that speak to them.
Consumer product managers understand the key ways consumers relate to a product, allowing them to lead market research teams and then communicate with developers to realize that vision. Other professionals they work with include:
Qualifications
Our Recommended Schools
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Grand Canyon University (GCU)
GCU's Colangelo College of Business offers leading edge degrees that address the demands of contemporary business environments.
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Southern New Hampshire University (SNHU)
Explore the bond between business and consumer behavior with a degree in marketing.
Most consumer product managers have at least five to eight years of previous experience in advertising, market research, or product development before taking on management positions. Depending on the job, they might be required to design, code, or develop strategies to market applications or new web pages.
Typically, consumer product managers earn at least bachelor’s degrees in marketing before entering leadership roles.
Become a Consumer Product Manager
Consumer product manager salaries vary by location and previous experience, but typically they can expect to make between $70,000 and $90,000 a year.
If you’re interested in a career as a consumer product manager, contact schools offering degrees in marketing.